To keep a school lunch cold and safe, pack it in an insulated lunch box with at least one ice pack, keep perishable food below 40 degrees, and pre-chill items the night before. Perishable food should not sit at room temperature for more than about two hours.

The essentials

• Use an insulated lunch box. A soft-sided insulated box is the foundation. See options here.
• Add an ice pack or two. Place them next to the most perishable items.
• Pre-chill everything. Cold food stays cold longer. Refrigerate the packed lunch overnight if you can.
• Freeze a drink or yogurt tube to double as an ice pack that thaws by lunch.

Food-safety basics

• Keep cold foods cold, below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Do not let perishable food sit out more than two hours.
• Clean the lunch box daily and wash a bento box after each use.

A bento box helps

A bento box inside an insulated lunch box keeps portions separated and cold together. Learn how to pack a bento box kids will eat.

Every Fenrici lunch box and bento box gives back to pediatric rare-disease research.